Information on Sooner lake in OK

[stuart]

I am looking for information on fishing Sooner Lake in Oklahoma. Maybe Bill can speak up since I know he fished it last March. I am wanting information on where to park and how to get to the warm water discharge. I have heard that you have to park off of 177 and walk around the lake to the discharge, is this true? I do not have a boat so I will have to fish from shore, and I would like to know if the shore around the discharge is fly fish friendly. Any information you can give me would be helpful. Thanks

Stuart

[Phil Lilley]

I've fished Sooner a few times with John Johnson from Kingfisher but always from a boat. I know it's private access- fences all around- except to the boat ramp and that's a long way from the plant. Sorry I can't help you with bank access.

[Bill Butts]

Hello Stuart~

Sooner Lake is starting heat up (pun intended) as I have watched the limited reports that are available and emailed a guy I met there last year.

Here is a link to an OK website that you will sometimes find reports that are helpful.

http://www.fishingnotebook.com/reports/okl...wwwreport.shtml

There is a guy I talked with last winter that said Thursdays are the most predictable days for good discharge water flow because that is the day with the highest average commercial power demand.

In general, the colder the weather the greater the power demand and the better the fishing.

You are correct that access is reached from Hwy 177, but you don't have to walk around the lake. It is however a good hike to the discharge area from the designated parking lot, about one mile or a little more. Easy walk. It is a beautiful rolling praire and if you get there at daylight (advisable)you will be blessed by a sunrise that comes up right over the lake. (BTW, the employees and retirees of the power plant have direct access into the discharge area on the opposite side of the channel, so don't bother asking them how they got in.)

The discharge area is fly fisher friendly, and you won't see any boats because they are restricted from this large area. I would suggest you wear some type of waterproof boots like calf high if possible. The warden will tell you there is no wading allowed but we saw several wading in the very warm water just outside the main discharge channel where it opens into a small bay.

Directions.

I just looked at my DeLorme map of OK and then the aerials on Google Earth and I am 99% sure the road off of 177 is E0400. As I recall, you cross the bridge over the SW corner of the lake and take the second road to the right. When you go down that road, you will pass through an open steel gate into a parking area. The trail to the discharge area goes north though there will be a few right turns that lead to other spots on the lake. Stay headed north toward the power plant.

I would strongly suggest you call the warden for that fishery, Doug Gottschalk at 580.370.0700 (cell, I think). He gave me directions the first time we went there. Nice guy and very helpful. He is there frequently, so he should have some report info for you also. When I go, he is the first one I call for current info.

If you'd like to see a few pics of the area, PM me your email and I'll send some. I won't take the time to downsize them to post. I wouldn't think many folks would be interested anyway. They are about 1.5MB each, so if you have high speed it will be fine.

Hope this is helpful.

Let me know if further questions.

Bill